Lawmakers on a House committee advanced a bill that would make it a crime to be in Louisiana illegally and would allow Louisiana to form a compact with Texas to secure the U.S. southern border.
It’s similar to a controversial Texas law that allows law enforcement to arrest people they suspect are there illegally. That law faces legal challenges for undermining the federal government’s authority on immigration law.
Whether Louisiana could enforce its own version of the law depends on the outcome in Texas. The proposal heads next to the full House.
Lawmakers on the House committee also advanced a resolution urging Congress to support Israel in the ongoing war in Gaza. Tensions about the war remain high across the country, especially on college campuses where many pro-Palestinian protests are taking place.
